


Nightmares

by Bionic_Egypt



Series: Plurale Tantum [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Also Evette isn't the only Dragonborn, Also I should mention I wrote half of this on day 2 of my week long migraine, And everyone thinks she's dead, And the Falkwreath sanctuary was destroyed, Barely any editing we stay injured like morons, Because she's the Listener, But that's not really important to the fic, Evette has seen some shit okay?, Evette may have PTSD, Gen, I don't edit as much as I should, I made that mistake once, If I had been at Helgen I'd have nightmares too, If you couldn't tell from the title, Just know her sister is also Dragonborn, Never again, Nightmares, So don't hate me if it sucks, but I don't know enough about it to write about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 15:31:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15799395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bionic_Egypt/pseuds/Bionic_Egypt
Summary: Memories have a way of creeping up on you, reminding you even in your unwaking hours that you can't escape the horrors you've seen. This is true even for one as mighty the Dragonborn.





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> So . . . Who else thinks the Dragonborn would probably have nightmares about what happened at Helgen? Because I do! And guess who likes to write about her Dragonborn OC going through shit? Me! (Literally, most of the bad shit that's gonna happen in this series will happen to Evette, mostly because she accepts she's the Dragonborn. I know, unfair, right?)
> 
> Anyway, ignore my rambling and please enjoy Nightmares.

Blood. It always started with the smell of fresh blood. Blood, running in rivers from the stump of what used to be a Stormcloak's neck as the body was pushed away. Blood, staining the chopping block a horrible crimson. Blood, mine soon to follow.

 

Fire. It was always followed by the heat of fire. Fire, desecrating everything it touched. Fire, scorching the streets as cries filled the air. Fire, destroying and ending lives even as the people tried to run. Fire, soon to burn me as well.

 

From there, it would sometimes change. There might be pleas of the innocent, begging for salvation from the hulking beast that descended upon them. There might be dark, grumbling laughter that shook the ground, sending structures crumbling upon the heads of the unwary. There might be destruction the likes of which no one had ever seen. There might be horrific deaths, so horrible it was impossible to look away. There might be people standing beside the chopping block, glaring down at me as the executioner began his duty, people I would know, people I would trust. There might be those same people, running a dagger through my heart as I raced to escape.

 

In few instances, there might be a hand reaching through the darkness, grabbing onto mine and pulling me to safety, away from the beast and the destruction it wrought. But those instances were few and far between. And now, with the owner of the hand long gone, those instances would likely never come again.

 

But no matter what happened, there would be things that always remained the same. Helgen would always be destroyed under a hail of dragonfire. Death would always find those who did not deserve it. And I would always find myself on a still-wet chopping block, staring up at the headsman's axe as it started to swing downward.

 

And then I would awaken.

 

* * *

 

 

" _Nid!"_ I screamed - no, Shouted - as I bolted upward. The power of my Thu'um shook the room, sending things shattering against the ground. I pressed a hand against my chest, feeling my heart trying to escape. Just a dream. It was just a dream.

 

But as much as I tried to tell myself that, I knew it wasn't. Not entirely, anyway. I had been there at Helgen. I had seen Alduin's return. And I had been seconds away from losing my head to the axe.

 

The senseless destruction still haunted me, even after all these years. And now, with my sister gone, murdered by the Penitus Oculatus during their quest to destroy the Dark Brotherhood, the nightmares were becoming more and more frequent. Evelyn had been the one to save me. She had broken through the guards' ranks when Alduin appeared, taking advantage of the destruction to pull me off the chopping block. We somehow made it out of Helgen relatively unscathed, but part of me knew that, had Evelyn not reacted when she did, I would have died on that block.

 

I shivered, just now realizing the cold. Fire. I should light a fire. I forced myself out of bed, slid on my fur shoes, and started searching for things to light. Hmm. Wood, obviously. There was a plethora of it stacked in a corner, along with a large metal urn. While I was at it, I stopped at the alchemy nook and picked up a few ingredients that warded off the cold. Not like they were doing me any good in potions.

 

I dragged everything back to my bedside, tossing the wood and ingredients into the urn before throwing a firebolt in after them. Once I had a nice roaring fire, I slipped back beneath my blankets. Warmth settled into my bones, chasing away the last dredges of the dream.

 

I stayed there, staring at the crackling flames until the weak sunlight slipped in through the windows.

 

* * *

 

 

"The students have been talking," Faralda began, reaching for an apple. We had started having lunch together after I became the Arch Mage. It was nice to spend an hour or so just talking with a friend.

 

"Oh?" I said distractedly, swiping a salmon steak. "What about?"

 

"Miniature earthquakes, of all things."

 

That got my interest. "Earthquakes?"

 

Faralda nodded. "Yes. Apparently the whole school shook last night. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you Arch Mage?"

 

My gaze dropped to my fork. Had I Shouted myself out of my nightmare? By the Eight, I had. My Voice must have been more powerful than I thought. Faralda cleared her throat, reminding me she was still waiting on an answer.

 

"Now how would I know anything about earthquakes?" I asked. "I'm an illusionist and alterationist. I don't work with natural forces."

 

"Evette, tell the truth," she said, suddenly serious. "It was another nightmare again, wasn't it?"

 

I sighed. "Yes. I didn't mean to scare anyone."

 

"You need to get these under control. The school is already on shaky ground. Imagine if one of your nightmares toppled us into the sea."

 

"What do you suggest I do?" I demanded. "I've tried everything I can think of, Faralda. If you can get rid of my nightmares, be my guest. Until then, I'm sorry if I've upset anyone, but _they_ didn't have to stare down the World Eater from their spot on the chopping block!"

 

Faralda fell silent at my words. I swore quietly to myself. I hated talking about what happened in Helgen. People always gave me those damned pitying looks. I didn't need their pity; I needed them to stop bothering me about it. But Faralda's pity was tinged with understanding. I knew why, of course. All mages had nightmares. We had all seen things during our studies, things that would haunt us until our dying day. But no one else at the College had seen Alduin, newly returned to the land of the living, roaring fire down at them as blood soaked into their hair.

 

I picked at my food for a few minutes before scowling at my plate. Ignoring the curious stare I felt on me, I pushed away from the table and walked out the door. I had things to do and no time to waste sitting there in awkward silence.

 

* * *

 

 

I trudged up the stairs to my quarters late that night. Urag had finally kicked me out of the Arcaneaum so he could go to bed. I had spent the rest of the day nose-deep in books, trying to forget my outburst during lunch. Faralda probably hated me now. I needed to find a way to apologize to her. Maybe she would enjoy some paid vacation time? Or someone to help with her duties as gatekeeper?

 

Ideas swirled around my mind as I started searching for my bed clothes, each more ridiculous than the last. To be honest, I knew what I had to do: I had to muster up my courage and ask Faralda to forgive me for snapping at her. But that was _hard_. I didn't know how mad she was. An angry destruction master was not someone I wanted to cross.

 

At least there was one good thing about the whole situation. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep tonight because I was worrying so much.

 

I pulled on my bed clothes before gathering more materials to make a fire. Hopefully the warmth would help me sleep better. I threw the wood and ingredients into the urn, tossing a firebolt along with them. I was just about to lay down before I noticed something on top of the blanket. It was a potion, along with a note. Curious, I picked up the note and read it.

 

_Evette,_

_I asked Drevis to mix this for you. It's a potion for dreamless sleep. Hopefully this helps._

_Faralda_

 

A smile tugged at my lips. She wasn't angry at all. I really did owe her for this. I uncorked the potion and took a long drink. Eugh, nasty. Someday I would find a potion that didn't taste awful, but today was not that day.

 

I curled up under the covers and soon fell asleep. I didn't have a nightmare the whole night.


End file.
